Fortescue Metals : partners with Jawun to support Indigenous organisations

Oct 12, 2017

Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) today announced it has entered a new five-year partnership with Jawun to support programs of change in Indigenous communities in the East Kimberley.

Established in 2011, Jawun places skilled people from Australia's leading companies and government agencies into Indigenous organisations to share their expertise and support local leaders to achieve their own development goals.

Fortescue Chief Executive Officer Nev Power said Fortescue was committed to building the capability and capacity of Indigenous businesses and organisations and empowering generational change in remote communities.

'We are proud to be partnering with Jawun and to be able to share the knowledge and expertise of our team members with these organisations, which results in a direct benefit to their local communities,' Mr Power said.

'This is another way Fortescue is able to support Indigenous communities on their journey to long term sustainability and reduced welfare dependence.'

Jawun Chief Executive Officer Karyn Baylis said Fortescue's highly skilled and adaptable employees offered huge value in terms of capacity building within partner organisations.

'They are a wonderful resource to Indigenous leaders driving transformative social change in the region,' she said.

Fortescue Planning Specialist Aaron Jessop took part in the pilot round in early 2017, where he helped implement a quality management system at the East Kimberley Job Pathways.

'It was truly an amazing program where I met some extraordinary people from the community and other companies who were participating in the Jawun program,' he said.

Fortescue's next round of secondees will head to Kununurra later this month, where they will work with the Yawoorroong Miriuwung Gajerrong Yirrgeb Noong Dawang Aboriginal Corporation and Waringarrri Aboriginal Arts.

Under the partnership, Fortescue will send at least 12 team members per year on secondments by 2019.